Ordnance sighting apparatus



A. T. DAWSON ET AL Nov- 27 ORDNANCE S I GET IN G APPARATUS Filed May 151922 QEEQMETHiQAL lMSTRUMENThL Patented Nov. 27, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON AND GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM, OF WESTMINSTER, LON-DON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO VICKERS LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON,

ENGLAND, A BRITISH COMPANY.

ORDNANCE SIGHTING APPARATUS.

Application filed May 15, 1922. Serial No. 561,241.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Sir ARTHUR Tnnvon DAWSON and Sir GEORGE THOMASBUCKHAM, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, and both residingat Vickers House, Broadway, \Vestminster, in the county of London,England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in orRelating to Ordnance Sighting Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to ordnance sighting apparatus of the kind havingan independent line of sight and in which the lateral movements of thesight occur in the plane of the sight, as distinct from in azimuth, atall angles of elevation.

According to the present invention the portion of the lateral deflectiongear operating between the sight bracket and the sight carrier isconnected to the lateral deflection hand wheel or other operating memberoccupying a fixed position on the gun carriage, through the intermediaryof mechanism which is so constructed and arranged that the lateraldeflection setting is not disturbed by the elevation of the sight, thelateral deflection recorded on the dial of the lateral deflection gearthus being that which is given in the plane of the sight. The saidmechanism may be similar to that described in the specification of ourprior British Patent No. 141,392 and may comprise what may be termed afloating shaft having bevel gear at each end and designed to form, thebase of an isosceles triangle having its apex at the sight trunnions,the upper bevel gear driving the portion of the lateral deflection gearon the sight bracket and the lower bevel gear being driven from thelateral deflection hand wheel on the gun carriage. Alternatively auniversal joint may be provided at each end of the floating shaftconstituting the base of the aforesaid isosceles triangle (which shaftin this case is preferably telescopic) the universal joints replacingthe aforesaid bevel gears. In the latter arrangement the shafts to whichthe said floating or base line shaft is connected by the universaljoints are so situated as to make equal angles with the latter shaft.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect the same will now be described more fully withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a sideelevation showing a constructional form of our invention in which thefloating or base line shaft is provided with bevel gears, and

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a constructional form ofour invention in which the floating or base line shaft is provided withuniversal joints.

A is the sight bracket pivoted at a co-axially with the gun trunnions,and B is the sight carrier pivoted at b tothe sight bracket, thearrangement being such that the axis of the pivot 12 is situated in atransverse plane which is at right angles to the plane of the sight lineat all angles of sight so that the lateral movements of the sight occurin the plane of the sight, as distinct from in azimuth, at all angles ofelevation. Pointing gear is provided for elevating the gun and the sighttogether and tangent elevation gear is provided for elevating the gunrelatively to the sight. C is the lateral deflection dial and C is thelateral deflection hand wheel, both these parts being mounted in a fixedposition on the gun carriage. The said hand wheel operates a. shaft Cconnected by bevel gear (Z in Figure 1 and by a universal joint 03 inFigure 2 to the lower end of the floating or base line shaft D. Theupper end of the said shaft D is connected by bevel gear in Figure 1 andby a universal joint d and a shaft D in Figure 2 to the deflection screwD by which lateral deflection is imparted to the sight carrier in theplane of the sight. In the construction shown by Figure l the base lineshaft D is slidably connected to the upper bevel pinion carried therebyand in the construction shown by Figure 2 the said shaft is madetelescopic. This telescopic form of shaft might also be employed inFigure 1 (in conjunction with the shaft D instead of the form of shaft Dshown in the latter figure. In the arrangement shown in Figure 2 theshafts C and D are so situated as to make equal angles with the baseline shaft D.

It will be observed that, in both construc tions described, when thesight is elevated the lateral deflection setting, which is made in theplane of the sight, is not disturbed.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is 1. In ordnance sighting apparatus, the combination with thesight and its carrier, of a sight bracket, means for mounting the sightcarrier on the sight bracket so that said carrier can move laterally atall angles of elevation in a plane containing the sight line, lateraldeflection gear operating between said carrier and said bracket, amember or part fixed to the gun carriage, a lateral deflection operatingdevice mounted on said fixed part, a lateral deflection indicatingdevice associated with said operatii'ig device and mechanism interposedbetween said operating device and said gear whereby the lateraldeflection setting of the sight will remain undisturbed during theelevational movements of the sight bracket.

2. In ordnance sighting apparatus having an independent line of sight,the combination with the sight and its carrier, of a sight bracket,means for mounting the sight carrier on the sight bracket so that saidcarrier can move laterally at all angles of elevation in a planecontaining the sight line, lateral deflection gear operating betweensaid earrier and said bracket, a member or part fixed to the guncarriage, a lateral deflection operating device mounted on said fixedpart, a lateral deflection indicating device associated with saidoperating device, and mechanism, including a floating shaft of variableeffective length, interposed between said operating device and said gearwhereby the lateral deflection setting of the sight will remainundisturbed, during the elevational movements of the sight bracket.

3. In ordnance sighting apparatus, the combination with the sight andits carrier, of a sight bracket, means for mounting the sight carrier onthe sight bracket so that said carrier can move laterally at all anglesof elevation in a plane containing the sight line, lateral deflectiongear operating between said carrier and said bracket, a member or partfixed to the gun carriage, a lateral deflection operating device mountedon said fixed part, a lateral deflection-indieating device associatedwith said ope 'ating device, an extensible shaft, a pair of shafts sosituated as to make equal angles with said extensible shaft, universaljoints connecting said pair of shafts to said extensible shaft, meansfor connecting one shaft of said pair to the portion of the lateraldeflection gear that is mounted on the sight bracket and means forconnecting the other shaft of said pair to said operating device.

4. In ordnance sighting apparatus, the combination with the sight andits carrier, of a pivoted sight bracket, means for mounting the sightcarrier on the sight bracket so that said carrier can move laterally atall angles of elevation in a plane containing the sight line, lateraldeflection ear operating between said carrier and said bracket, a memberor part fixed to the gun carriage, a lateral deflection operating devicemounted on said fixed part, a lateral deflection indicating deviceassociated with said operating device, an extensible shaft, a pair ofshafts so situated as to make equal angles with said extensible shaft,universal joints connecting said pair of shafts to said extensible shaftat such points that said extensible shaft forms the base of an isoscelestriangle having its apex at the pivotal axis of the sight bracket, meansfor connecting one shaft of said pair to the portion of the lateraldeflection gear that is mounted on the sight bracket and means forconnecting the other shaft of said pair to said operating device.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM.

